After her career as a professional dancer with Ballet Ireland, David Taylor Dance Theater, and Ballet Nouveau Colorado, Julia Wilkinson Manley became the School Director for Broomfield-based Ballet Nouveau Colorado from 2003-2013. In 2013 she founded a new non-profit organization, Colorado Conservatory of Dance (CCD), becoming CEO and Artistic Director. As a leader of CCD for 10 years, she developed community education programming for over 60,000 individuals, a nationally-respected syllabus for dance training, and produced and choreographed over 25 ballets.

Julia earned her BFA in ballet pedagogy from the University of Oklahoma, where she trained under the directorship of Mary Margaret Holt. In 2009, she served on the committee to rewrite the Colorado Academic Standards for Dance for the Colorado Department of Education and completed the Community Arts Education Leadership Institute (CAELI) under the mentorship of John McCann in 2015. Julia was honored in 2023 as a Legend of Dance by the Dance Archive at the University of Denver.

Many of Julia’s students have gone on to enjoy professional careers with dance companies such as Atlanta Ballet, Ballett Zürich, Colorado Ballet, Eugene Ballet, Houston Ballet, Joffrey Ballet, Oklahoma City Ballet, Oregon Ballet Theater, Royal Winnipeg Ballet, Wonderbound, and Verb Ballets. Similarly, many of her students have developed illustrious careers as brain surgeons, architects, scientists, teachers, engineers, visual artists, writers, physical therapists, and more – all with the love for dance bolstering their success. Julia is committed to using her experiences with injury and body dysmorphia to positively impact the way dance can and should be taught. Julia is passionate about providing an environment for learning where dancers can feel vulnerable and authentic. Colorado Movement Lab is a place where dance technique is taught kinesthetically and without judgment, and the community is emboldened with curiosity, artistic sensibility, and tolerance.